Border Tire LLC's retread plant in Redlands, Calif., is generating new efficiencies, says Jim Russell, the dealership's executive vice president.
The plant, which opened this past November, "represents a merger of three retread plants into one," according to Russell. Border Tire's other retread plants, now closed, were located in Fontana and Corona, Calif.
"We had three plants and now we have one. We're trying to capitalize on the efficiencies you get in being in a larger, more productive facility with newer equipment."
Border Tire, which is headquartered in El Paso, Texas, says the Redlands shop is "the largest Michelin Retread Technologies plant in North America - designed to meet the growing demand for sustainable, high-performance tire solutions that support fleets and the communities they serve."
The facility is producing 600 medium truck tire retreads a day.
In addition to its retread plant in California, Border Tire, which was founded in 2015, has 10 commercial tire centers throughout its native Texas, plus New Mexico and Arizona.
"Border Tire has always believed in helping our customers get more value, more miles and more performance from every tire," says Russell. "Our goal is to capitalize on the investment we've made ... not only to provide better retreads in a timely manner, but to be more competitive in the market, as well."
"There's a lot more conversation around what we can do with our retread program," says Dan Lackey, Border Tire's sales director. "We're seeing fleets make changes to their retread programs in terms of casing life management There’s a lot more focus on cost-per-mile. Some of the larger fleets are taking a closer look at their retreading programs and are looking for us to provide insights."
Russell adds that Border Tire's new retread plant also has been an effective sales tool. "When (customers) come through our facility, they see it's truly a manufacturing process that is very efficient, controlled and produces a high-quality product."
About the Author
Mike Manges
Editor
Mike Manges is Modern Tire Dealer’s editor. A 28-year tire industry veteran, he is a three-time International Automotive Media Association Award winner, holds a Gold Award from the Association of Automotive Publication Editors and was named a finalist for the prestigious Jesse H. Neal Award, the Pulitzer Prize of business-to-business media, in 2024. He also was named Endeavor Business Media's Editor of the Year in 2024. Mike has traveled the world in pursuit of stories that will help independent tire dealers move their businesses forward. Before rejoining MTD in 2019, he held corporate communications positions at two Fortune 500 companies and served as MTD’s senior editor from 2000 to 2010.